Gopher Game Day Experience

[Lakeville Goldy]

A couple things - First, I've been to a fair amount of road games. Iowa, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Penn State, Indiana, Illinois, USC, UNLV not to mention two Music City Bowls and THE Insight Bowl (TT). Of all those games, I don't know that I've combined heard the number of ads they do during a typical Gopher game. I might be exaggerating slightly, but honestly, it's not even close at the other places I've been.

I'm fine with the ads on the scoreboards, around the field, whatever. But getting bombarded with them every time there's a break in action takes the wind out of everyone's sails.

The second thing is the PC fun police attitude of the Mpls City Council/Mayor etc. If they had a beer garden outside the stadium where people with legal ID's (even if they are students) could come and have a drink or two before the game and a bite to eat, they will have a better atmosphere. I've proposed that the road that the St. Paul busses turn on to drop people off be closed and even just put food trucks there if you just aren't willing to allow alcohol. The busses could just go to the next road north (6th?). Anything to get people in the area before the game. Allow the bars to have outdoor parties EVERY game, not just 4 times a year or whatever the current rule is.

Finally, find a way to get the folks in St. Paul over closer to the stadium. Whether it means renting parking by the silos or someplace else, the bus ride takes something away from the fun.

 

[Section2]

Do you think the PA Announcer recites those ads on his own, for fun, with no direction by others to do so? Really?

Let's make sure we aren't throwing a PA Announcer under the bus for something he can't control.

And for the record, I do NOT like all the ads during Gopher games, regardless if they are taking up a sizable portion of the video screen, being read by the PA announcer, or paraded in front of me with boxes of snickers. I don't like it, but as others have said it is also far to common in other college stadiums too and I can tell you from first hand experience these ads happen elsewhere all the time. I just would never think to shoot the messenger over this unfortuante development in college football stadiums.

When did I say it was all his choice? Jamie, you are putting words in my mouth. This thread is about atmosphere and surely someone from the U is reading, so I am voicing my displeasure.

Separate from that is that I don't like the PA guys style. I don't want the game to be about the PA guy and it currently is. I want it to be about, in order: team, students/band, tailgating, fans, goldy, hot dogs, coke, beer, port o potties, scoreboard displays, security guards, Jamie.

It is currently:JAMIE, gophers, JAMIE, fans, JAMIE you get the point.

Someone said, if Jamie doesn't shout at us, we don't cheer enough. The problem is not going to be solved by Jamie. The students need to solve it. The band needs to solve it. The fans need to solve it. And the team needs to win. Jamie is not going to be able to make a 2-6 big ten team exciting all by himself and shouldn't try. He is there to complement the action, period.

I don't know JAMIE personally. I'm sure he is a great guy. This is business, not personal. On many occasions he takes away from my experience as a paying customer. Whether he is following orders or doing so on his own is irrelevant to me. I want it changed. Last year was marginally better. We have much further to go.

 

[e.bigelow]

My reading isn't selective at all. If people in power hated sports, there wouldn't be four major league teams in the Twin Cities. Instead of having Target Field, the Twins would have been contracted. Instead of a new Vikings Stadium, the Vikings would be playing in LA. The Timberwolves would have left years ago and the Wild never would have come here. And there would have been no TCF Bank Stadium. I'll stick with evidence.

+1. Game. Set. Match.

 

[e.bigelow]

A couple of things--

I don't think the PA guy and the scoreboard crap is any different anywhere else. It's obnoxious everywhere, just different obnoxious.

As for the second half doldrums--my family and I have noticed that forever. No matter what happens in the first half, the second half of Minnesota games always start quietly and politely.

I hate to say it, but part of it is just "Minnesotans". We're a bit too passive agressive, and a bit too self-loathing. Killer instinct is taught and learned. Maybe we could start out the second half, including the kick-off and the complete first drive with some sort of raucous participation event that involves lots of noise???

We used to joke that once halftime is over that Minnesotans are trying to figure out what time they can leave to beat the traffic to get ready for Sunday church

The bold part is probably no joke, outside of the Sunday church reference of course.

 

[Unregistered User]

If you have to tell the fans to cheer for a 1st down, then what does that say about the fans.

I'm not picking on you SON, you're just the last person I read who brought this up.

I hear this in about 50% of the NCAA and NFL games when I'm watching on TV. It's not unusual at all. My oldest son (10) loves it, and accuses some other team of stealing it when he hears it when we're at home watching games.

Of all the intrusive things involved with the fan experience, I don't have this one high on my list, and we laughed at it quite a bit when it was being introduced in the dome all those years ago.

 

[Section2]

I'm not picking on you SON, you're just the last person I read who brought this up.

I hear this in about 50% of the NCAA and NFL games when I'm watching on TV. It's not unusual at all. My oldest son (10) loves it, and accuses some other team of stealing it when he hears it when we're at home watching games.

Of all the intrusive things involved with the fan experience, I don't have this one high on my list, and we laughed at it quite a bit when it was being introduced in the dome all those years ago.

IMO this cheer has been rescued by what the band and students do after. I love the "lets go!" part at the end, very effective during a long drive with lots of first downs.

 

[mplsbadger]

Some enterprising student needs to write a cheering app that leads students through the cheers and songs. They could even crowd source the next cheer.

Card stunts for the 21st century.

These nerds came up with Gopher protocol and damn near owned the Internet (damn HTTP). You can't tell me they can't figure this out.

 

[RailBaronYarr]

A couple things - First, I've been to a fair amount of road games. Iowa, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Penn State, Indiana, Illinois, USC, UNLV not to mention two Music City Bowls and THE Insight Bowl (TT). Of all those games, I don't know that I've combined heard the number of ads they do during a typical Gopher game. I might be exaggerating slightly, but honestly, it's not even close at the other places I've been.

I guess I'll disagree given my experiences at Iowa (4x), Northwestern (2x), Wisconsin (2x), UNLV, and 4 bowl games (Sun, Gaylord, Gaylord, Insight). Ads by the PA guy, obnoxious sponsored videos, on-field promotions, are all par for the course.

 

[GVBadger]

Drastic times call for drastic measures.

I would start with the biggest couple of lots next to the stadium and let people tailgate in there for free if they are in the lot three hours before the game. 5 hours for night games. After that time, charge a nominal fee, make sure they are packed with fans.

Make a parking lot for alums in their 20's and 30's, think of other groups that need to be won over, make a special parking lot for them. If you are not in there, no spot for you. Take reservations. Give away food in the lot if you have to. Make it easy to have fun in there. Bring the band in pregame to play in small groups for the fans. Have Goldy come in and play with the kids. Whatever it takes. Have tailgating contests, recipes, best brats, bloodies, etc., invite other teams fans into a rivalry lot. Whatever needs to be done to engage the fan base and make it fun.

When the train opens, have a lot where people can come and rent tailgating gear or take gear out of lockers they have stored. Encourage the train, keep cars out of the area, give people a reason to make a day of it.

Make those tailgating lots the centerpiece of the game day experience and move the older set to lots where they are going to be comfortable. Have a special lot for fans that witnessed the last Gophers team to win the Big 10. Don't take it so seriously, have fun with it. Bring members from that team back to tailgate every week in that lot with those fans. They would have a blast talking about the tradition of those teams. They would feel appreciated as well.

Short term revenue will need to be given up for the long term goal of creating a fun atmosphere. It can be done with a little creativity, a lot of effort and some long term thinking and not short term penny pinching.

Extra effort needs to be made almost everywhere to get attention and connect with their fans. The Gophers have a lot of opportunities with all the building that has gone on in the campus area and the stadium area. It is a great area and the campus has a ton going for it. Make it happen, don't wait for it to happen.

 

[...]

Does anyone know what the story is with the silos and the land around them to the east of the stadium. Could that land be bought and made into a tailgating lot? There is a serious lack of parking around the stadium, and tailgating in these lots is an important part of the game day experience.

 

[GoGophers2005]

My problem with game day is getting lengthy. Since the stadium opened I'm not sure the U has given a damn about providing a competent game day atmosphere. I tailgate in Lot 86 on the West Bank and I really like it. We walk to the stadium and its fantastic being able to walk thru campus before every game. However my folks are getting old and the U decided to remove the game day shuttle from the West Bank and replaced it with the normal Campus bus. It isn't the end if the world but it went from every 15 minutes to every 30 minutes.
Now this year the U has decided to get rid of Lot 89. That lot is full every week. ???

Shouldn't the U be improving bus service and adding tailgating opportunities within walking distance to the stadium instead of taking it away? Where are the cheerleaders or the alumni bands? Where is Goldy? Aren't there like 10 Goldys? Can't one make an appearance once every 4 years to the West Bank? We get none of those things.

Also the U needs to start allowing fire pits in the lots or else their November attendance is going to continue to be terrible. If they don't want individuals to have fire pits they need to get some volunteers to 'host' a fire within every lot. It's ridiculous the rules.

 

[MorningCalmBadger]

Whether you think it's sad or irresponsible or pathetic or whatever, the truth is that 99.9% of college students like to do this to have fun on Saturdays:



I don't care if it's Madison, Minnesota, Northwestern, Duluth, or Michigan. You can look at this video series which features students at all kinds of Division 1 schools and find the same exact things going on at every university. The only difference is the shirt colors. (The series is called "I'm Smacked" by the way) http://www.youtube.com/user/YofrayFilms?feature=watch

The students are the engine of every Game Day. Take the students out of Badger Games and Camp Randall would be just like TCF Bank Stadium is now. A snooze fest.

That scene exists in every university. Whether they bring that energy to a football stadium on a Saturday or keep it hidden indoors is the difference. Some schools have successfully worked it out with their cities and universities to do all the stuff in those videos safely outdoors to the benefit to both sides on football Saturdays bringing that energy out of hiding and harnessing it in the football stadium This is where you seem to be in disparity with places like Madison, Ann Arbor, Lincoln or Iowa City. All of these places feature blatant student partying on Game Day where a blind eye is turned and space is provided for partying students. You've got to find someone who recognizes the value to bending the rules and identify that doing so will be an overall help to the community and not some kind of illegal abomination.


Find university leadership who have the power to work with the city to make it happen. So far, Minnesota has failed to do that.

 

[Unregistered User]

The series is called "I'm Smacked" by the way

You should be very proud of your university.

The series is called "I'm Shmacked" by the way.

 

[Gopher Bandanna Guy]

The students are the engine of every Game Day. Take the students out of Badger Games and Camp Randall would be just like TCF Bank Stadium is now. A snooze fest.

Ah. Thank goodness. Finally a Badger fan has weighed in. All other solutions and suggestions are now rendered moot. The arbiters of anything and everything cool have spoken.

Yes, where ever would Camp Randall be with out the ever classic and family friendly 'Eat Sh*t, F*ck You' chant? How can fuddy duddy alums and non-students know when to cheer and celebrate if a TD is scored in the 1st quarter before the student section is even remotely full? Is it possible to recognize the difference between the letters 'P' and 'O' with out the student section making it clear? And let's not forget the forever classic 'Jump Around' before the 4th quarter, a true Camp Randall favorite that isn't at all tiresome.

Ok, all snarkiness aside, of course Camp Randall has great atmosphere, but the students are only part of it. Winning football games has a lot more to do with it.

 

[CP Gopher]

Ah. Thank goodness. Finally a Badger fan has weighed in. All other solutions and suggestions are now rendered moot. The arbiters of anything and everything cool have spoken.

Yes, where ever would Camp Randall be with out the ever classic and family friendly 'Eat Sh*t, F*ck You' chant? How can fuddy duddy alums and non-students know when to cheer and celebrate if a TD is scored in the 1st quarter before the student section is even remotely full? Is it possible to recognize the difference between the letters 'P' and 'O' with out the student section making it clear? And let's not forget the forever classic 'Jump Around' before the 4th quarter, a true Camp Randall favorite that isn't at all tiresome.

Ok, all snarkiness aside, of course Camp Randall has great atmosphere, but the students are only part of it. Winning football games has a lot more to do with it.

Agreed.

 

[Ole]

Agreed.

NO.

Look, badger fans are good at one thing and one thing only. Getting smashed at a party.
but unfortunately these posts are the absolute truth.
If the U isn't interested in somehow allowing the student party scene to come up from the underground, then they have nobody to blame but themselves for all the empty seats in the student section and in the stadium in general.

The TCF Bank Stadium experience has absolutely nothing to do with how the team is doing, or it shouldn't. It's about the event of a football game on campus, not simply going to watch a football team play.

You watch that video of the smashed badger kids and you see what I've seen on campus, just without any gopher gameday tradition. Students at the U do all those things in garages and basements on gamedays because they know there's no place for them to gather and party near the stadium, and there's going to cops and event staff watching them like hawks looking for excuses to bust kids.

 

[highwayman]

Also the U needs to start allowing fire pits in the lots or else their November attendance is going to continue to be terrible. If they don't want individuals to have fire pits they need to get some volunteers to 'host' a fire within every lot. It's ridiculous the rules.

Hate to say, but fire pits and large groups of revelers don't mix well together. Eventually, someone is going to get hurt--badly.

You will never again see fire pits in public places where alcohol is served. And people playing catch, or running around. Same with charcoal grills. That's the simple truth.

Inherently, propane is a better answer, but that is going to be your responsibility. It's the way it is, and will be.

 

[GoGophers2005]

Hate to say, but fire pits and large groups of revelers don't mix well together. Eventually, someone is going to get hurt--badly.

You will never again see fire pits in public places where alcohol is served. And people playing catch, or running around. Same with charcoal grills. That's the simple truth.

Inherently, propane is a better answer, but that is going to be your responsibility. It's the way it is, and will be.

So you must not ever be in a Vikings tailgate lot. Charcoal grills and firepits as far as the eye can see. I bet we are the only B10 team that doesn't allow fire pits or charcoal. We are backwards.

 

[Go4Broke]

So you must not ever be in a Vikings tailgate lot. Charcoal grills and firepits as far as the eye can see. I bet we are the only B10 team that doesn't allow fire pits or charcoal. We are backwards.

Packers ban fire pits for tailgating (Vikes did long ago)

Well, at least the Vikings aren't alone in having ridiculous tailgating rules.

Can somebody please explain the rationale behind this (aside from the usual totalitarian control freak nature of all busybody politicians)? If we're talking about safety, I guarantee you all the vehicles are a far greater threat (one accidental punch of the gas pedal = lots of injured tailgaters). Not to mention drunkenness – if they really wanted safety, they should haul the boozers off to the damn drunk tank and/or ban drinking. If you can't get jacked up for a game without it, you've got bigger problems anyway.

Have any of these dumbasses spent any time outside in below-freezing temperatures so as to know how utterly weak and worthless propane heaters are against the cold as compared against a good old-fashioned bonfire? And this for an outdoor stadium – at least the Dump gives Vikings fans a chance to defrost for 3 hours after freezing their asses off for 5+...

He who gives up heat in winter for security deserves neither....Give me fire or give me death....boy, this has some potential.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Officials: Packers fans must leave fire pits home
Associated Press
Article Last Updated: 11/14/2008 01:46:18 PM CST

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Packers fans planning tailgating parties must leave their portable fire pits at home.

Ashwaubenon fire inspector Paul Hawley says tailgaters often start recreational fires in the parking lots before games at Lambeau Field.

But fire officials in Green Bay and Ashwaubenon say that's not allowed.

Charcoal and propane grills may be used for cooking, and UL-listed LP gas units that have been safely secured can be used for heat.

Lt. Nick Craig of the Green Bay Fire Department says two fire marshals will patrol parking areas and ticket offenders. Fines can be as much as $676.

http://www.northstarwritersforum.com/showthread.php?t=4805

 

[Gopher Bandanna Guy]

NO.

The TCF Bank Stadium experience has absolutely nothing to do with how the team is doing, or it shouldn't. It's about the event of a football game on campus, not simply going to watch a football team play.

Gotta disagree strongly here. Find me a team that has the poor record AND shaky attendance history the Gophers do over their 4+ year tenure at The Bank and has any kind of renowned great game day atmosphere. The success of the team certainly does have something to do with creating a successful game day environment, particularly the over the long term.

Why? Because first and foremost you need people to show up in droves to games. A half full stadium of drunk college students isn't a great atmosphere. A full house of engaged fans who showed up 2 hours early to the stadium to drink, eat, revel, etc. IS. What's more is that we've had some games where we did have great atmosphere and gameday experience. Certainly not at the level of Camp Randall or the Horseshoe, but those stadiums are much larger than ours, and even when we do fill the bank, we've got 35-50K fewer people in the immediate vicinity. But if you attended the Syracuse game last year, or tailgated at one of the near-stadium lots during the USC game a few years back, it was a pretty damn good environment for college football.

 

[Hates Monikers]

The second thing is the PC fun police attitude of the Mpls City Council/Mayor etc. If they had a beer garden outside the stadium where people with legal ID's (even if they are students) could come and have a drink or two before the game and a bite to eat, they will have a better atmosphere. I've proposed that the road that the St. Paul busses turn on to drop people off be closed and even just put food trucks there if you just aren't willing to allow alcohol. The busses could just go to the next road north (6th?). Anything to get people in the area before the game. Allow the bars to have outdoor parties EVERY game, not just 4 times a year or whatever the current rule is.

Finally, find a way to get the folks in St. Paul over closer to the stadium. Whether it means renting parking by the silos or someplace else, the bus ride takes something away from the fun.

I think this gets to part of the problem. I think there's a lot more partying and fun going on before games than people realize, but a lot of it goes unseen. I think it's really important for people to SEE others having fun as they approach the stadium. Part of what makes the atmosphere at Wisconsin seem so great is that as you walk to Camp Randall, you see red for blocks and blocks. We have the lots right around the stadium and three bars. Once you get past those you have very peaceful neighborhoods for at least a mile in every direction.

We have a bunch of people tailgating at the fairgrounds. There are people at East River Flats. West Bank lots. If those people could somehow get closer to the stadium, that would help instantly. I know that's not easy because parking is at such a premium. But what if some of those tailgaters were in smaller, private lots around the stadium? What if we were able to see students partying and throwing a ball around outside their houses/buildings instead of inside? There are some legal issues, but nobody said it would be simple.

A lot of this is a matter of perception. People will think it's a lot more fun if they see all the other people having fun.

 

[Gopherdrummer]

Gotta disagree strongly here. Find me a team that has the poor record AND shaky attendance history the Gophers do over their 4+ year tenure at The Bank and has any kind of renowned great game day atmosphere. The success of the team certainly does have something to do with creating a successful game day environment, particularly the over the long term.

Why? Because first and foremost you need people to show up in droves to games. A half full stadium of drunk college students isn't a great atmosphere. A full house of engaged fans who showed up 2 hours early to the stadium to drink, eat, revel, etc. IS. What's more is that we've had some games where we did have great atmosphere and gameday experience. Certainly not at the level of Camp Randall or the Horseshoe, but those stadiums are much larger than ours, and even when we do fill the bank, we've got 35-50K fewer people in the immediate vicinity. But if you attended the Syracuse game last year, or tailgated at one of the near-stadium lots during the USC game a few years back, it was a pretty damn good environment for college football.

To add to your point: schools with "recent" success like Wisconsin (vs. sustained success throughout history such as Michigan, OSU, etc.) have the benefit of fans can go into a game with the attitude that they will most likely win regardless of the opponent. Having that mindset of just expecting a win every Saturday brings fans to the game in droves. Even when your team is actually middle of the pack on paper, the crowd mindset takes over.

Our fanbase, however, looks at the schedule and says, "well, we will be on the field at least." Sure, we probably think pretty rationally as sports fans go, but that doesn't fuel a top tier game day atmosphere. If Kill turns around, the atmosphere will pick up, the students will want to go. A lot of you talk about students watching the game on TV in their houses and that could be the case. But I honestly think the students just don't make the effort because the team is not good in their eyes. They have no interest. It is not ingrained in the student culture to go to football games. The Syracuse game last season showed how you can spark student, and general fan, interest when the team is successful.

Can the U do something the enhance the gameday experience? Sure. You always can. Is it going to work? Marginally. Clever marketing might get people in the door for one game, but we need sustained success on the field. I think the biggest thing the U could do is closing off Oak Street next to the bars instead of by Mariucci so beer gardens can spill into the street, but that might be a separate discussion. TCF will be more of a bar hoping experience vs. tailgating in the long run, they might as well try to enhance and promote it a bit.

 

[...]

To add to your point: schools with "recent" success like Wisconsin (vs. sustained success throughout history such as Michigan, OSU, etc.) have the benefit of fans can go into a game with the attitude that they will most likely win regardless of the opponent. Having that mindset of just expecting a win every Saturday brings fans to the game in droves. Even when your team is actually middle of the pack on paper, the crowd mindset takes over.

Our fanbase, however, looks at the schedule and says, "well, we will be on the field at least." Sure, we probably think pretty rationally as sports fans go, but that doesn't fuel a top tier game day atmosphere. If Kill turns around, the atmosphere will pick up, the students will want to go. A lot of you talk about students watching the game on TV in their houses and that could be the case. But I honestly think the students just don't make the effort because the team is not good in their eyes. They have no interest. It is not ingrained in the student culture to go to football games. The Syracuse game last season showed how you can spark student, and general fan, interest when the team is successful.

Can the U do something the enhance the gameday experience? Sure. You always can. Is it going to work? Marginally. Clever marketing might get people in the door for one game, but we need sustained success on the field. I think the biggest thing the U could do is closing off Oak Street next to the bars instead of by Mariucci so beer gardens can spill into the street, but that might be a separate discussion. TCF will be more of a bar hoping experience vs. tailgating in the long run, they might as well try to enhance and promote it a bit.

As a student who has tried to get others to go to games, I have to agree with this.

 

[GoGophers2005]

Firepits.

Okay, I understand it is a Fire Department issue. So in saying that, why can't the U have the Fire Departments come out on game day and run the fire pits? Are you telling me that there aren't any fire department volunteers that are Gopher fans that enjoy tailgating?

Have the DNR come out and help out with it and teach everyone about the dangers of forest fires at the same time? Aren't there any kids in school that are going to the U for some sort of forestry management that can team up with the fire department to monitor the fire pits?

And when I say fire pits I'm thinking bigger. In Lot C86 we have a huge field in front of our lot and would be perfect for a bon fire pit.

 

[Ole]

The success of the program will help or hurt things, but the fact is that the students and under 30 crowd are not being catered to with the current setup.

If the team was rolling, yeah there would be more fans in general, but with the current gameday atmosphere, it would either be mostly fairweather types(as there were early in 09), or mostly current season ticketholders who simply don't go to every game.
I don't believe the students would show up, it just doesn't matter to them whether the team wins as long as it's a good time. It's not a good time for a 19 year old sophmore right now. He's better off staying home and partying with his freinds and the girls next door in his living room with the game on in the background.

Honestly, the private lot restrictions are a big part of this.
Don't give me the "it's a major metro area" excuse. The U has cowered to the city at almost every turn in regards to the areas around the stadium.

If every business nearby had the ability to open for parking they would, and most of the st paul crowd and alot of younger fans would be willing to pay 25-50 bucks to tailgate near the stadium. Those private lots would be full IMO, some even with students. It would bring the remaining lots together with a sense of campuswide celebration.

If the bars were given no restrictions or ones that made sense, they would all have some sort of outdoor beer garden.

If you closed off oak near stub and herbs and BWW, you'd have a ton of people walking around barhopping and socializing within yards of the stadium.

Finally, if the students were given a spot nearby, even in a semi restricted area, they would gather, assuming they wouldn't be busted or harrassed for sipping on root beer snapps and shotgunning coors light.

The U either doesn't want a better atmosphere before games, or it does and is unwilling to go up against the city. Either way, it's cowardly. Public opinion would far be in the U's favor, even to just have the same restrictions as the dome area does.
If they are unwilling to make these changes, then there will perpetual boredom at the majority of games, and the program will suffer for it.

 

[mplsbadger]

Have the DNR come out and help out with it and teach everyone about the dangers of forest fires at the same time?

Hoping they don't put the fire safety instruction in the U's 'shmacked' video...

 

[Schnauzer]

Hoping they don't put the fire safety instruction in the U's 'shmacked' video...

There won't be enough time for fire safety in the MN Shmacked version after all the all the shots of facepainting and football-toss-through-a-hole video is added.

I just hope nobody ever gets poked in the eye with a paint brush or that will go too.

 

[Gopherdrummer]

The success of the program will help or hurt things, but the fact is that the students and under 30 crowd are not being catered to with the current setup.

If the team was rolling, yeah there would be more fans in general, but with the current gameday atmosphere, it would either be mostly fairweather types(as there were early in 09), or mostly current season ticketholders who simply don't go to every game.
I don't believe the students would show up, it just doesn't matter to them whether the team wins as long as it's a good time. It's not a good time for a 19 year old sophmore right now. He's better off staying home and partying with his freinds and the girls next door in his living room with the game on in the background.

Honestly, the private lot restrictions are a big part of this.
Don't give me the "it's a major metro area" excuse. The U has cowered to the city at almost every turn in regards to the areas around the stadium.

If every business nearby had the ability to open for parking they would, and most of the st paul crowd and alot of younger fans would be willing to pay 25-50 bucks to tailgate near the stadium. Those private lots would be full IMO, some even with students. It would bring the remaining lots together with a sense of campuswide celebration.

If the bars were given no restrictions or ones that made sense, they would all have some sort of outdoor beer garden.

If you closed off oak near stub and herbs and BWW, you'd have a ton of people walking around barhopping and socializing within yards of the stadium.

Finally, if the students were given a spot nearby, even in a semi restricted area, they would gather, assuming they wouldn't be busted or harrassed for sipping on root beer snapps and shotgunning coors light.

The U either doesn't want a better atmosphere before games, or it does and is unwilling to go up against the city. Either way, it's cowardly. Public opinion would far be in the U's favor, even to just have the same restrictions as the dome area does.
If they are unwilling to make these changes, then there will perpetual boredom at the majority of games, and the program will suffer for it.

I am not completely disagreeing with you, but the students have shown up when the team has had marginal success early in the season. And I think it does matter to the students if the team is winning. Student attendance to hockey games was down when the team slumped. Basketball was packed at the beginning of this past B1G season when the team was doing well. In seasons past, the student section was half full when the bball team was average. Look at other schools: Purdue has had poor student attendance in recent years, IU has always been bad, NW has had mediocre attendance, and MSU's students bailed on the team last year after a bad loss (they even got reamed out by Dantonio).

Also, I don't think students at home are turning the game on TV in the background as much as we would hope.

 

[GopherHomer]

The student section was fine last year before we started losing. As the weather turns, unfortunately, they need the team to be successful to show up. It sounds simplistic, but I believe it is true. There are not shortages of party-options for anyone that wants to get wasted.

Also, why do people tailgate on the West Bank and in St. Paul...we tailgate right next to the stadium and there is plenty of room. I'm not being a jerk, just wondering...is it cheaper?

 

[...]

The student section was fine last year before we started losing. As the weather turns, unfortunately, they need the team to be successful to show up. It sounds simplistic, but I believe it is true. There are not shortages of party-options for anyone that wants to get wasted.

Absolutely agree, it was much easier getting people to come to the Syracuse game, when we were 3-0 and had a chance at winning against a team everyone's heard of, than the Michigan game when were sure to get killed.